Recently there has been bad press against whole grains by Paleo Diet and Gluten Free Dieters. For people who are gluten sensitive again they should consult their physician but wheat in a whole grain form and minimally processed has been found to be quite protective against western disease, time again and again. You can always try to single out particular nutrients alone that can cause problems but as a whole food it is not just one nutrient but a symphony of nutrients all working together. Here is a few studies below.

Several studies show consistently that subjects who ingest three or more portions of foods per day based on wholegrain cereals have a 20-30 % lower risk of CVD than subjects who ingest low quantities of cereals. This level of protection is not observed with the ingestion of refined cereals, these being even higher than with the intake of fruit and vegetables. Likewise, high intake of wholegrain cereals and their products, such as whole-wheat bread, is associated with a 20-30 % reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes. Finally, protection against the risk of colorectal cancer and polyps, other cancers of the digestive tract, cancers related to hormones and pancreatic cancer has been associated with the regular consumption of wholegrain cereals and derived products. The regular intake of wholegrain cereals can contribute to reduction of risk factors related to non-communicable chronic diseases.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22166190

Study2Conclusions: The increased consumption of whole grains was inversely related to weight gain, and the associations persisted after changes in added bran or fiber intakes were accounted for. This suggests that additional components in whole grains may contribute to favorable metabolic alterations that may reduce long-term weight gain.http://www.ajcn.org/content/80/5/1237.full

Study 3Conclusions: Similar associations of whole grains and cereal fiber with weight, BMI, waist circumference, plasma cholesterol, and 2-h glucose were observed, suggesting that cereal fiber and its constituents may in part mediate these relations. Refined grains were associated with fasting insulin among women but not men. Additional research should explore potential interaction effects with BMI, sex, age, and genes.http://www.ajcn.org/content/86/6/1745.full

As refined grains are problematic for health, there is too much evidence out there showing the power of whole grains to ignore. If you decide to give up whole grains that is up to you but if you include whole grains it seems to be quite protective. Ignoring this could put your health at risk.